Excursion Walkaround w/ Chris Cordes of Overland Journal + Expedition Portal

Chris Cordes, an editor for Expedition Portal & Overland Journal gave us the full-walkaround of his Turbo Diesel Ford Excursion.

Cordes chose the Excursion because he felt it was just the right fit for his overlanding travels. It has solid axles, a large fuel tank, and a large weight capacity. (The gross vehicle weight-rating is 9,200 lbs.) "It really just checked all the boxes," Cordes said.

The truck features an ARB bumper. Cordes grew up in Texas and spent a lot of time in the Southwest where deer strikes are a real problem. "I wanted to protect the front end in case of an animal strike so I wouldn't get stranded in the middle of nowhere," Cordes said. He chose ARB because it's a brand he's really come to trust. It even protected his vehicle during a "confrontation" with a kangaroo in Australia!

Further modifications include a 16.5 Warn TIS winch with a synthetic line; the vehicle is clearly very heavy and Cordes needed a reliable tool for self-recovery. The Excursion has a lot of shared parts with the F250. Underneath, there's an F-Series platform. This vehicle has an Old Man Emu suspension bolted right on. And for tires? Cordes chose 37" tires dinero grabber atx's on 1552 Traverse HD Wheels.

To learn how Cordes maxed his towing capacity, gets the best from his fuel economy, and made this vehicle extra comfortable for extended driving, check out the video and let us know what you think!